GT3Cup: Farnbacher Loles Road Atlanta summary

Farnbacher Loles Racing's Imery 2nd in IMSA GT3 Challenge, 4 others in top 10

Farnbacher Loles Racing driver Ricardo Imery finished an impressive 2nd place in the inaugural IMSA GT3 Challenge by Michelin race at Road Atlanta. This new series, open only to amateur racers, features 2002-2005 Porsche 996 GT3 Cup cars. Remarkably, this was Imery's first weekend driving one of these factory-produced racecars. Imery, a native of Venezuela, showed amazing consistency by qualifying in 2nd place and posted the 2nd fastest lap during the race. The racer was very happy with his podium finish and is looking forward to the next round. Said Ricardo, "This is a great race car. The Farnbacher Loles Racing team worked hard this weekend and I'm glad I could bring them this result."

Paul Orwicz, also racing with Farnbacher Loles, qualified in 13th place and drove through the pack to finish in 5th place. Orwicz, who lives in New Canaan, CT, was very smooth in his drive and showed great technique developed in numerous Porsche Club events. Said Paul after the race, "I had a great weekend. Bring on Mid-Ohio." The 5 race series continues on May 22nd at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.

One of the greatest drives of the weekend was put on by another Cup car new-comer, Lawson Aschenbach. Aschenbach, a Vanderbilt University student from Gaithersburg, MD, had to start from the back of the field due to a mishap during qualifying. He quickly made his presence known and was moving rapidly through the pack when contact by a fellow competitor ripped the door off Lawson's all-white Farnbacher Loles Racing machine. While the incident did not slow his pace, Lawson was given a black flag to come into the pits and have a new door fitted. Lawson lost valuable time during the repair, which essentially eliminated his chances of a top finish. Nonetheless, upon his return, Lawson recorded the race's fastest lap.

Finishing in 7th place was Farnbacher Loles Racing veteran Shawn Price. Price had a great run and while his distinctive green and silver number 10 Porsche had a few bumps and bruises, his strong finish was a testament to the experience of a long time racer who was a co-driver of the 2005 Rolex 24 at Daytona GT Class Champion Farnbacher Loles Racing Porsche. Shawn lives in Hillsborough, CA and is also looking forward to the next round at Mid-Ohio.

Another top 10 finisher for Farnbacher Loles Racing, was Keith Alexander. Keith, a New York City resident, qualified in 9th place on the starting grid. Keith had a good start but an early race spin put him at a quick disadvantage. His spirited drive and 8th place finish showed the race fans the skills he has developed in numerous Porsche Club races.

Rounding out the top 10 for Farnbacher Loles Racing was Baltimore resident Gennady Soyker. Gennady, who is a native of the Ukraine, overcame an 18th place qualifying run to finish in 9th place. Gennady's racing career began nearly 20 years ago in his homeland driving a 1300cc Russian Lada.

Other Farnbacher Loles Racing entrants included Walkersville, Maryland's Tom Pank who finished in the 18th position. Pank who only started racing in 2001 when he and his wife attended a racing school together, was impressed with the level of competition. Pank, who had a good qualifying effort, looks to improve his finishing position in the next round.

The 2 other Farnbacher Loles Racing drivers in the field registered DNFs due to on-track incidents. Mike Piera of Danbury, CT was having a great race until he was hit by another car, which caused significant damage to his silver GT3. Mike who is a 2-time national champion in SCCA Solo II autocross, is counting the days to the next round so he can get some points toward the season championship. Russell Smith, a Bermudian, had a collision with another competitor midway through the race, which punctured his radiator and also put him on the sidelines. While Russell has only been racing for little more than a year, his 14th position qualifying effort showed what a talented driver he is.

-ftm-